In recent years, technology giants in India have invested heavily in upskilling their workforce, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI). Despite these efforts, India faces a significant shortage of talent in core AI products and services.
The Discrepancy in Numbers While companies boast impressive figures of employees trained in AI skills, the actual pool of senior AI engineers capable of building core products remains limited. Specialist staffing firm Xpheno reports less than 2,000 active senior AI engineers in India.
Investments in Upskilling Major players like Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Accenture, HCLTech, Microsoft India, and IBM have conducted extensive AI training programs. However, the focus often lies on mass-market training rather than industry-specific skills.
Challenges in Upskilling Experts highlight the importance of process-specific and application-specific training in AI. While current upskilling initiatives create a foundational layer of AI knowledge, they may not adequately address the need for specialized skills in core AI engineering.
Diverse Skill Sets AI skilling encompasses various domains, including machine learning, natural language processing, and generative AI skills. Engineers are trained to leverage tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.
Demand and Opportunity The demand for AI talent is expected to grow significantly, with a substantial gap between demand and supply for niche AI skills. India awaits mainstream adoption of AI, offering immense potential for growth in this sector.
Global Captive Centers Global Captive Centers (GCCs) play a crucial role in driving AI talent demand, particularly in developing in-house AI products. GCCs offer premium salaries and attract talent amidst the talent shortage.
Conclusion While India faces challenges in meeting the demand for core AI talent, ongoing upskilling efforts and growing demand present significant opportunities for the country to emerge as a global leader in AI innovation.
